Sunday, February 8, 2009

The Bayou Cleanup as part of the bigger picture...

Below is part of the Times' article on the bayou cleanup. Note Jon's reference to the bigger picture. This is really the first large-scale on the ground effort on what is likely to be the site of a future greenway. It's the beginnings of a beautiful path right now.:

"...The cleanup was the first step toward making the bayou an outdoor eco-classroom for students at Montessori and Stoner Hill Elementary as well as a more accessible public resource with walking trails.

"For years, Montessori Middle School teacher Jon Soul, who helped spearhead the event, has been observing the bayou and doing his part to pick up trash. As a Montessori parent and instructor, he felt it could be a great extension to the school. Among its inhabitants are blue herring and wood ducks, which is rare, Soul said.

"And they're striking. As far as wildlife goes, it's a valuable area. It's not really common knowledge in Shreveport that this bayou exists, so we would like to see there be a history trail that goes from Montessori to Caddo Magnet High that would connect us to Stoner Hill Lab and Valencia Recreation Center. There's so much to be learned from this area and connecting these four entities.

"We hope to be setting the groundwork for years of collaborative work and learning and for use as a place for locals to continue using with a sense of pride."

To echo Robert's post below, it was a wonderful event. Many thanks to Jon, Ian, Maurice, Andy, John, and all the others that helped. It's likely this will mark the beginning of a wonderful trail.

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